Let's Go Hokies

Usually at work, I have the stock ticker going with business and general news updates to keep me abreast of what's happening and if I should be aware of anything. Anything news-related will have some effect (small or large) on the economy. But yesterday morning I was busier than normal and didn't get a chance to look at the ticker. So I knew nothing until I turned on the news around noon during my lunch. I couldn't believe I was listening to an account of a school shooting worse than Columbine, one that was much worse in terms of numbers, I never thought it could get worse than Columbine.

But what was different was from then on, every 20-30 minute update saw an increase in the number dead and/or injured. The number stopped at 33 dead. My last year as an RA, I had 33 guys living in my corridor at some point or close to that number.

Then I heard one of the first guys shot was an RA, who may have been trying to break up a dispute between the shooter and his girlfriend. This hit me hard because I probably would've been shot in the same situation. I always had my door open so I could know what was going on (unless I was asleep or studying). If I heard arguments or loud noises in general, I emerged to see what was going on. I would've intervened in this particular situation so I could've suffered the same fate as Ryan Clark, who from all accounts I read was a great student leader.

There have been a lot of complaints about the delayed, ineffective communication of the first incident by VT's exec, helped by the media. I don't think they handled this part of the day ineffectively. At 7:15am, I'm sure exec were still arriving for their workday. Plus, you don't want to incite panic, so you want to obtain as much information as possible. And, it takes emails sent on listservs time to circulate.

I do think there should've been more of a security presence on campus from campus police, SWAT, Blacksburg police, even maybe the cadets there. I don't think a lockdown of campus was possible by 9:30, but a presence on some of the main areas and quads may have deterred the 2nd incident. Plus, they would've been available to communicate the situation to students as they went from 8am classes to 9am classes.

Even with that, I don't think the criticism should be as harsh as it has been. I'm sure (I hope) Virginia Tech had a plan for a situation that called for a lockdown. But it's hard to imagine something of this nature happening. The media has overcriticized the staff and their decision-making, it's very easy to Monday morning quarterback.

The media also did a very poor job in highlighting the gunman's nationality. I like Keith Olbermann when it comes to sports, but with news, I usually don't agree with him and in the case of last night, he really got it wrong. He opened his Countdown program with a report from the Chicago Sun-Times from an unconfirmed source that the gunman was a "Chinese national". Whoever watched interepreted "Chinese national" as Communist who hates America and shares strong national feelings with China. An obvious negative connotation. Then today, a majority of the news organizations led with the fact the gunman was a South Korean resident alien (before saying his name). "Chinese national" or "South Korean resident alien" shouldn't be the first words out when describing someone. It's like saying, "Well, he wasn't American, Americans aren't capable of this. He hates America. He's sending a message. Those darn Chinese or Koreans, etc." I think that's just terrible.

I've been busy all day today so I'm still getting updated on what's transpired just today. I did get to see clips of the morning convocation where students were dressed in school colors as if they were going to a sporting event. Virginia Tech is one of the toughest places to play, especially when it comes to night football games because of the energy and passion the students have for their teams. I thought it was great when they chanted, "Let's Go Hokies." From now on, I will always root for Virginia Tech.

Pray for all the victims and their families and for those effected.